August21st,2012 SenateMajorityLeaderHarryReid 522HartSenateOfficeBuilding Washington,DC20510 CC: SenatorRichardDurbin,MajorityWhip SenatorCharlesSchumer,DemocraticPolicyCommitteeChair DearMajorityLeaderReid, OnbehalfoftheSaferChemicals,HealthyFamiliescoalition,weurgeyoutobring SenatorLautenbergsSafeChemicalsAct(S.847)totheSenatefloorthisfall.Thank youforyourongoingcommitmenttoprotectpublichealthandtheenvironment. Ourcoalitioniscomprisedofover430organizationsandbusinessesworkingto improveourhealth,theenvironment,parenting,laborrights,andenvironmental justice.

tice.FromtheUnitedSteelworkerstotheNationalMedicalAssociationour diversecoalitionincludesmillionsofmemberswhoareunitedinourcommitment toputcommonsenselimitsontoxicchemicals.Weareactivelyworkingtoreform theToxicSubstancesControlAct,alawthatisfailingtoprotectAmericanfamilies. Alargebodyofscienceamassedoverthelastseveraldecadeslinksexposuresto certainchemicalsfoundinourhomes,workplaces,consumerproductsand environmenttotheriseinsomecancers,includingchildhoodandyoungadult cancers,aswellaslearninganddevelopmentaldisabilities,earlypuberty,asthma, infertilityandAlzheimersandParkinsonsdiseases. Duetoourweakfederallawsonchemicals,Americanfamiliesareroutinelyexposed totoxicchemicalsintheirhomesandcommunities.Accordingtodatafromthe CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,thevastmajorityofpregnantwomenin Americahavemanytoxicchemicalsintheirblood,whichcanbetransferredtotheir developingfetuses.Thisissimplyunacceptable. SenatorLautenberghasspentthelastseveralyearsseekinginputfromvarious stakeholdersontheSafeChemicalsAct,includingaprocessheinitiatedlastyear withSenatorInhofe.TheEnvironmentandPublicWorksCommitteealsoheld severaloversighthearings. SenatorLautenbergofferedamajoramendmenttohisbillthatwasincludedinthe versionmarkedupandpassedoutoftheEPWCommitteelastmonth.The significantchangesmadetotheSafeChemicalsActtoaccommodateconcerns expressedbytheregulatedindustryinclude:

Safer Chemicals Healthy Families

bettertailoringandtimingofinformationrequirementsandchemical evaluations, ensuringspeedtomarketfornewchemicals,and enhancingprotectionforconfidentialbusinessinformation. InadditiontoSenatorLautenbergscontinuedeffortstoworkacrosstheaisle,our coalitionspentendlesshoursworkingwithandengagingvarioussectorsofindustry, seekingpointsofcommongroundthathavebeenincorporatedintothelatest versionoftheSafeChemicalsAct.Publicopinionresearchconsistentlyshowsbroad bipartisansupportatthegrassrootslevelfortheprovisionsofthelegislation. ThetimehascomeforCongresstoactontheSafeChemicalsAct. WeneedyourleadershiptohelpprotectAmericanfamiliesfromtoxicchemicals, restoreconsumerconfidenceandtackleaportionofrisinghealthcarecosts.We workwithfamilieseverydaythatarestrugglingtocareforalovedonewithcancer, findtheresourcestopayforspecialeducationandbattlelocalpollutioninlow incomeandminoritycommunities.Weoweittothemtodoeverythingwecanto reducethefactors,includingpreventableexposurestotoxicchemicals,which contributetotherisingincidenceofcertainchronicdiseaseswearewitnessingin thiscountry. OnbehalfofthemillionsofAmericansthatourcoalitionrepresents,weurgeyouto bringtheSafeChemicalsActtoavoteontheSenatefloorthisfall.Westandreadyto supportyouasweworktogethertoplacecommonsenselimitsontoxicchemicals. Sincerely, AndyIgrejas Director SaferChemicals,HealthyFamilies (bycategory)

CancerAdvocacy

AsbestosDiseaseAwarenessOrganization LindaReinstein,PresidentandCoFounder BreastCancerAction KarunaJaggar,ExecutiveDirector BreastCancerFund JeanneRizzo,R.N.,President&CEO CapitalRegionActionAgainstBreastCancer JoanSheehan,President

 GreatNeckBreastCancerCoalition LauraWeinberg,President HuntingtonBreastCancerActionCoalition,Inc. KarenJoyMiller,President MassachusettsBreastCancerCoalition MargoSimonGolden,BoardPresident Mira'sMovementSpeakingUpforKidswithCancer ChristineBrouwer,FounderandExecutiveDirector Rachel'sFriendsBreastCancerCoalition JoanneSkirving,BoardSecretary Women'sCommunityCancerProject MargoSimonGolden,BoardPresident

NursingOrganizations

AllianceofNursesforHealthyEnvironments LauraAnderko,Chair,BoardofDirectors AmericanNursesAssociation RoseGonzalez,PhD,MPS,RN,Director,GovernmentAffairs AssociationofPerioperativeRegisteredNurses(AORN) AmyL.Hader,JD,Director,LegalandGovernmentAffairs Connecticut Nurses Association Carole Bergeron RN, PhD, Executive Director MichiganNursesAssociation KennethFletcher,AssociateExecutiveDirectorforGovernmentalRelations NationalAssociationofHispanicNurses AdelitaG.Cantu,PhD,RN NationalAssociationofNeonatalNursesandNursePractitioners LauraStokowski IdahoNursesAssociation VanessaKlaus,RN,MS,President

NewYorkStateNursesAssociation ReneGecsedi,MS,RN Director,Education,Practice&Research SoutheasternMichiganAssociationofNeonatalNurses JoyceStein,President WashingtonStateNursingAssociation KarenBowman,EnvironmentalHealthSpecialist

LearningandDevelopmentalDisabilities

AmericanAssociationonIntellectualandDevelopmentalDisabilities(AAIDD) MargaretA.Nygren,EdD,ExecutiveDirector&CEO TheArcoftheU.S. AnnieAcosta,PolicyAdvocate TheArcofAnchorage GwendolynLee,ExecutiveDirector AutismSocietyofAmerica ScottBadesch,President/COO ChildrenandAdultswithAttentionDeficit/HyperactivityDisorder RuthHughes,PhD,ChiefExecutiveOfficer InstituteofNeurotoxicology&NeurologicalDisorders StevenG.Gilbert,PhD,DABT LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofAmerica PatriciaLatham,President

NationalEnvironmentalOrganizations
CenterforEnvironmentalHealth AnsjeMiller,EasternStatesDirector CenterforHealth,Environment&Justice(CHEJ) LoisGibbs,ExecutiveDirector CenterforInternationalEnvironmentalLaw(CIEL) BaskutTuncak,StaffAttorney CleanWaterAction CindyLuppi,NewEnglandDirector

 Earthjustice MartinHayden,VicePresident,Policy&Legislation EnvironmentalDefenseFund RichardA.Denison,Ph.D.,SeniorScientist LeagueofConservationVoters TiernanSittenfeld,SeniorVicePresident,GovernmentAffairs NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil DanielRosenberg,SeniorAttorney PesticideActionNetworkNorthAmerica KristinS.Schafer,SeniorPolicyStrategist

EnvironmentalJustice

AlaskaCommunityActiononToxics PamelaMiller,ExecutiveDirector Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice Sharon Lewis, Executive Director Hartford, CT EnvironmentalJusticeActionGroupofWesternNewYork,Inc. JudithM.Anderson,ExecutiveDirector JustTransitionAlliance JoseT.Bravo,ExecutiveDirector TexasEnvironmentalJusticeAdvocates(TEJAS) JuanParras,Director WEACTforEnvironmentalJustice CecilCorbinMark,DeputyDirector/DirectorofPolicy VoicesforEarthJustice PatriciaGillis,ExecutiveDirector AdvocatesforEnvironmentalandHumanRights NatalieWalkerandMoniqueHarden,CoDirectors

AdditionalHealthOrganizations

AssociationofReproductiveHealthProfessionals(ARHP) WayneC.Shields,PresidentandCEO CommonwealBiomonitoringResourceCenter SharylePatton,Director ConnecticutPublicHealthAssociation KathiTraugh,MPH,President HealthCareWithoutHarm GaryCohen,President InstituteforAgricultureandTradePolicy KathleenSchuler,CoDirector MaineMedicalAssociation LaniGraham,MD,PublicHealthCommitteeCochair MaineChapter,AmericanAcademyofPediatrics SteveFeder,DO,FAAP,FACOP,President NationalMedicalAssociation MarkA.MitchellM.D.,MPH PhysiciansforSocialResponsibilityLosAngeles MarthaDinaArguello,ExecutiveDirector PhysiciansforSocialResponsibility,Maine KarenDAndrea,ExecutiveDirector PlannedParenthoodofNorthernNewEngland JillKrowinski,DirectorofVermontPublicAffairs ReproductiveHealthTechnologiesProject KirstenMoore,President&CEO ScienceandEnvironmentalHealthNetwork TedSchettlerMD,MPH,ScienceDirector VermontPublicHealthAssociation(VtPHA), HeidiKlein,President

LaborOrganizations

BlueGreenAlliance DavidFoster,ExecutiveDirector CTCouncilonOccupationalSafetyandHealth MikeFitts,ExecutiveDirector MaineAFLCIO DonBerry,President MaineLaborGrouponHealth PeterCrockett,ExecutiveDirector UnitedSteelworkers MichaelJ.Wright,DirectorofHealth,SafetyandEnvironment Worksafe DorothyWigmore.OccupationalHealthSpecialist

ParentGroups

MomsRising KristinRoweFinkbeiner,ExecutiveDirector/CEO&CoFounder ChildrensEnvironmentalProtectionAlliance NancySwan,Director HealthyChild,HealthyWorld GigiLeeChang,CEO AllergyKidsFoundation RobynO'Brien,Founder MomsCleanAirForce DominiqueBrowning,Director MOMSMakingourMilkSafe MaryBrune,Director

Businesses

AllianceforSustainability TerryGips,President AmericanSustainableBusinessCouncil DavidLevine,CEO

ConstructionSpecialties,Inc HowardWilliamsVP/GeneralManager EcoStoreUSA LyneAppelDowning,VPofOperations AuburnHills,MI ChezSvenBed&Breakfast AlexandraGrabbe,Owner/manager CleanWellCompany LarryWeissMD

Greenblendz,Inc SteveBerry,GeneralManager AuburnHills,MI EnviroOne AllenVictor,President TheHonestCompany ChristopherGavigan,Founder LocalMotionGreen MelissaCooperSargent,EducationDirector GrossePointe,Michigan NationalCenterforEnvironmentalHealthStrategies,Inc. MaryLamielle,ExecutiveDirector Naturepedic BarryChic,Owner/CEO SustainabilityAssociates TerryGips,CEO

StateOrganizations

ActionforChildrenNorthCarolina TomVitaglione,SeniorFellow Raleigh,NC AirAllianceHouston MatthewTejada,ExecutiveDirector Houston,Texas

 AthensCountyFrackingActionNetworkOhio HeatherCantino BuildABetterPlanet SoledadHaren,Founder,Publisher,andProducer NewYork,NewYork BayAreaHealth WafaaAborashed,ExecutiveDirector SanFranscisco,CA BerkshireEnvironmentalActionTeam(BEAT) JaneWinn,ExecutiveDirector Pittsfield,MA

CafeteriaCulture/StyrofoamOutofSchools DebbyLeeCohen,Director NewYork,NY CaliforniansforaHealthyandGreenEconomy(CHANGE) KathrynAlcantar,CampaignDirector Oakland,CA CaliforniaHealthyNailSalonCollaborative CatherinePorter,PolicySpecialist Oakland,CA Citizens'EnvironmentalCoaltion BarbaraWarren,ExecutiveDirector Albany,NY CitizensForAHealthyBay LeslieAnnRose,SeniorPolicyAnalyst Tacoma,WA CleanandHealthyNewYork KathleenA.Curtis,LPN,ExecutiveDirector Albany,NY

CleanWaterActionMichigan SusanHarley,MichiganPolicyDirector EastLansing,MI

Coalition for a Safe & Healthy CT Anne Hulick, Coordinator Hartford, CT CoalitionforCleanAir LuisR.Cabrales,DeputyDirectorofCampaigns LosAngeles,CA CoalitionforEnvironmentallySafeSchools KarenAhern,ExecutiveDirector BainbridgeIsland,WA CoalitionforSocialJustice DebbieFaustino,ExecutiveDirector FallRiver,MA

CodmanSquareNeighborhoodCouncil Rev.Dr.BillLoesch,Coordinator Dorchester,MA CleanWaterAction,California AndriaVentura,ProgramManager SanFrancisco,CA ConservationVotersforIdahoEducationFund JohnT.Reuter,ExecutiveDirector Boise,Idaho CTWorkingMoms,LLC MichelleNoehren Glastonbury,CT DesertProtectionSociety DonnaCharpied,ExecutiveDirector DesertCenter,CA EarthMinistry/WashingtonInterfaithPower&Light LeeAnneBeres,ExecutiveDirector EcologyCenter AlexisS.Blizman,LegislativeandPolicyDirector AnnArbor,MI

EmpireStateConsumerProject JudyBraiman,President Rochester,NY EnvironmentMaine EmilyFigdor,Director Portland,ME EnvironmentalHealthStrategyCenter MikeBelliveau,ExecutiveDirector Portland,ME GrassrootsEnvironmentalEducation PattiWood,ExecutiveDirector PortWashington,NY GreenSciencePolicyInstitute ArleneBlum,PhD,ExecutiveDirector Berkeley,CA HealthyLegacy KathleenSchuler,CoDirector Minneapolis,MN IllinoisPIRG BrianImus,StateDirector Chicago,IL InformedGreenSolutions CarolWestinghouse,President EastBurke,VT KentuckyEnvironmentalFund ElizabethCrowe,ExecutiveDirector Berea,KY KentuckyResourcesCouncil,Inc. TomFitzGerald,Director Frankfort,KY TheLandsCouncil MikePetersen,ExecutiveDirector Spokane,WA

MaineConservationVoters MaureenDrouin,ExecutiveDirector Augusta,ME MaineCouncilofChurches Rev.JillJobSaxby,ExecutiveDirector Portland,ME MaineWomen'sLobby LauraHarper,DirectorofPublicPolicy Augusta,ME MedfieldGreen CherylDurrPatry,BoardMember Medfield,MA MichiganLeagueofConservationVoters LisaWozniak,ExecutiveDirector AnnArborandGrandRapids,MI MichiganNetworkforChildren'sEnvironmentalHealth RebeccaMeuninck,EnvironmentalHealthCampaignDirector AnnArbor,MI NaturalResourcesCouncilofMaine AbbyKing,PolicyAdvocate Augusta,ME NewYorkLawyersforthePublicInterest ChristinaGiorgio,StaffAttorney NewYork,NY NevadaConservationLeague&EducationFund ScotRutledge,ExecutiveDirector LasVegas,NV NorthCarolinaConservationNetwork BrianBuzby,ExecutiveDirector Raleigh,NC

OhioEnvironmentalCouncil KristyMeyer,M.S.,DirectorofAgricultural&CleanWaterPrograms Columbus,OH

OlympicEnvironmentalCouncil DarleneSchanfald,ProjectCoordinator Sequim,WA PeoplefortheEnvironment JoanKulash,President NorthAndover,MA PlannedParenthoodVotesNorthwest JenniferM.Allen,DirectorofPublicPolicy Seattle,WA ProductPolicyInstitute MattPrindiville,AssociateDirector Rockland,ME ProgressiveLeadershipAllianceofNevada BobFulkerson,StateDirector PugetSoundSage DavidWest,ExecutiveDirector SeattleWA SecondLook DeborahMoore,PhD,ExecutiveDirector Worcester,MA SpokaneRiverkeeper BartMihailovich Spokane,WA TakeBacktheAir JulieMellum,President Minneapolis,MN TexasImpact BeeMoorhead,ExecutiveDirector Austin,TX TipoftheMittWatershedCouncil GrenettaThomassey,PhD,ProgramDirector Petoskey,MI

 ToxicsActionCenter SylviaBroude,ExectiveDirector Boston,MA VermontPublicInterestResearchGroup PaulBurns,ExecutiveDirector Montpelier,VT VoicesforVermontsChildren LindsayDesLauriers,PublicPolicyAssociate Montpelier,VT WashingtonToxicsCoalition LaurieValeriano,ExecutiveDirector Seattle,WA